Solution Lifecycle (How-to Guide)

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This guide walks you through the complete solution lifecycle from initial planning to production deployment and ongoing support. Follow these procedures to systematically develop, deploy, and maintain FrameworX solutions using industry best practices.

What You'll Learn:

Plan and scope your project
Design the architecture
Build using the Four Pillars
Deploy to production
Maintain and support

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<ac:structured-macro ac:name="info"> ac:rich-text-body Time Estimate

Small System: 4-6 weeks
Medium System: 8-12 weeks
Enterprise: 16-24 weeks </ac:rich-text-body> </ac:structured-macro> </ac:layout-cell> </ac:layout-section> </ac:layout>

Quick Start Workflow

Follow this high-level workflow, then dive into detailed procedures for each stage:

1. INITIATE (1-2 weeks)
   ??? Define Requirements
   ??? Identify Stakeholders
   ??? Create Project Charter

2. DESIGN (2-4 weeks)
   ??? Architecture Planning
   ??? Data Model Design
   ??? Standards Definition

3. BUILD (4-12 weeks)
   ??? P1: Configure UNS
   ??? P2: Setup Process Modules
   ??? P3: Add Application Logic
   ??? P4: Create User Interface

4. DEPLOY (1-2 weeks)
   ??? Production Installation
   ??? Commissioning
   ??? Training

5. SUPPORT (Ongoing)
   ??? Monitoring
   ??? Maintenance
   ??? Optimization

Stage 1: Initiate Your Project

Step 1.1: Define Project Scope

Prerequisites: Business objectives, budget constraints

Create Project Charter

Project Name: _____________
Business Objective: _____________
Success Criteria: _____________
Constraints: _____________
Timeline: _____________

Document Technical Requirements
- I/O Count: _____ points
- User Count: _____ concurrent
- Data Sources: _____ systems
- Performance: _____ ms response
Identify Stakeholders <table> <tr><th>Role</th><th>Name</th><th>Responsibility</th></tr> <tr><td>Sponsor</td><td>___</td><td>Approval</td></tr> <tr><td>Operations</td><td>___</td><td>Requirements</td></tr> <tr><td>IT</td><td>___</td><td>Infrastructure</td></tr> </table>

Validation: All stakeholders sign off on scope document

Step 1.2: Gather Requirements

Collect Data Source Information

For each PLC/Device:
- Protocol: _____________
- IP Address: _____________
- Point Count: _____________
- Scan Rate: _____________

Define Functional Requirements
- Process control needs
- Alarm requirements
- Reporting specifications
- Integration points
- Security requirements

Deliverable: Requirements Specification Document

Stage 2: Design Your Architecture

Step 2.1: System Architecture

Select Deployment Model

[ ] Standalone - Single server
[ ] Distributed - Multiple servers
[ ] Cloud - Azure/AWS
[ ] Hybrid - Mixed deployment

Design Network Topology
- Production Network: _____________
- Control Network: _____________
- DMZ Configuration: _____________

Plan Database Architecture

Development: SQLite (default)
Production: [ ] SQL Server [ ] PostgreSQL [ ] Oracle
Historian: [ ] Local [ ] Enterprise [ ] Cloud

Step 2.2: Data Architecture

Define Naming Convention

Standard: [Area]_[Equipment]_[Signal]
Example: WTP_PUMP01_RUNNING

Design UDT Templates

yaml

Motor_Template:
  - Running: Boolean
  - Speed_SP: Float
  - Speed_PV: Float
  - Fault: Boolean

Plan Asset Structure

Plant
??? Area1
?   ??? Line1
?   ??? Line2
??? Area2

Deliverable: Architecture Design Document

Stage 3: Build Your Solution

Step 3.1: Configure Foundation (P1)

Create Tag Structure

a. Open Designer → UNS → Tags
b. Click New Tag
c. Enter: Name, Type, Initial Value
d. Set Engineering Units
e. Configure Min/Max ranges

Build UserTypes (UDTs)

a. Navigate to UNS → UserTypes
b. Click New Type
c. Add Members:
   - Commands (Start, Stop)
   - Status (Running, Faulted)
   - Values (Speed, Current)
d. Save Template

Organize Asset Tree

a. Go to UNS → Asset Tree
b. Create Folders for Areas
c. Add Equipment nodes
d. Link to Tags/UDTs

Step 3.2: Setup Process Modules (P2)

Configure Device Communications

a. Devices → Channels → New
b. Select Protocol (Modbus, OPC UA, etc.)
c. Configure Connection:
   - IP: _____________
   - Port: _____________
   - Timeout: 3000ms
d. Add Nodes → Map Points
e. Test Communication

Setup Alarms

a. Alarms → Groups → New Group
b. Add Alarm Items:
   - Tag: Select from UNS
   - Condition: HiHi, Hi, Lo, LoLo
   - Limits: Set values
   - Priority: 1-999
c. Configure Notifications

Enable Historian

a. Historian → Storage → Configure
b. Select Location (SQL Database)
c. Create Storage Groups
d. Add Tags to collect
e. Set collection rates

Step 3.3: Add Application Logic (P3)

Create Scripts

csharp

// Scripts → Tasks → New
// Name: Calculate_KPI
// Trigger: Timer (60 seconds)

public void RunTask()
{
    // Calculate OEE
    float availability = Tag.RunTime / Tag.PlannedTime;
    float performance = Tag.ActualRate / Tag.TargetRate;
    float quality = Tag.GoodParts / Tag.TotalParts;
    Tag.OEE = availability * performance * quality;
}

Configure Datasets

sql

-- Datasets → DBs → New Connection
-- Datasets → Queries → New
SELECT 
    ProductID,
    BatchNumber,
    Quantity,
    Timestamp
FROM Production
WHERE Timestamp > @StartTime

Step 3.4: Build User Interface (P4)

Create Main Navigation

a. Displays → New Display
b. Name: MainMenu
c. Add Navigation buttons:
   - Overview
   - Areas
   - Reports
   - Admin

Design Process Graphics

a. Create display per area
b. Add equipment symbols
c. Bind to tags:
   - Drag tag to object
   - Configure animation
d. Add navigation buttons

Validation: Test all displays in Test Mode (F5)

Stage 4: Deploy to Production

Step 4.1: Pre-Deployment Checklist

All tests passed
Documentation complete
Backup created (.dbback file)
Licenses verified
Training materials ready
Rollback plan prepared

Step 4.2: Installation Procedure

Backup Current System (if exists)

Solution Center → Backup
Save to: Backup_YYYYMMDD.dbback

Install Software

a. Run FrameworX installer
b. Select components
c. Enter license
d. Configure services

Deploy Solution

a. Copy .dbsln to server
b. Open Solution Center
c. Import solution
d. Select Production profile
e. Start Runtime

Step 4.3: Commissioning

I/O Checkout

For each signal:
- [ ] Force value at source
- [ ] Verify in FrameworX
- [ ] Document in loop sheet

Functional Testing
- Test each control loop
- Verify alarm functions
- Check interlock logic
- Validate calculations
Performance Validation
- Response time: < 500ms
- CPU usage: < 60%
- Memory: < 70%
- Network: < 50%

Sign-off: Customer acceptance signature

Stage 5: Support & Maintenance

Step 5.1: Setup Monitoring

Configure Diagnostics

Runtime → Diagnostics → Enable:
- [ ] Performance counters
- [ ] Error logging
- [ ] Audit trail

Create KPI Dashboard
- System uptime
- Response times
- Alarm rates
- Data quality

Step 5.2: Maintenance Schedule

<table> <thead> <tr><th>Frequency</th><th>Tasks</th><th>Procedure</th></tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td><strong>Daily</strong></td> <td>System check</td> <td>Review alarms, check status</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Weekly</strong></td> <td>Backup</td> <td>Solution Center → Backup</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Monthly</strong></td> <td>Archive</td> <td>Export historian data</td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Quarterly</strong></td> <td>Review</td> <td>Performance analysis</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

Step 5.3: Common Troubleshooting

Issue: Communication Loss

Check network connectivity
Verify device status
Review error logs
Restart communication service

Issue: High CPU Usage

Check script execution times
Review polling rates
Optimize queries
Adjust priorities

Tools and Templates

Project Management Tools

FrameworX Built-in:

Track Changes (version control)
Cross-Reference (dependency tracking)
Build Flag (backup points)
Publish (production lock)

Recommended Third-party:

JIRA/Azure DevOps (task tracking)
Git/SVN (source control)
Confluence (documentation)

Downloadable Templates

[Project Charter Template]
[Requirements Checklist]
[Test Plan Template]
[Commissioning Sheets]
[Training Materials]

Best Practices Summary

DO:

? Follow naming conventions consistently ? Test at each stage ? Document all decisions ? Plan for 20-30% growth ? Use version control ? Create reusable components

DON'T:

? Skip testing to save time ? Hardcode values ? Deploy without backups ? Ignore user feedback ? Neglect documentation

Next Steps

After completing this lifecycle:

Review Advanced Topics
- [Performance Optimization →]
- [Security Hardening →]
- [Redundancy Setup →]
Explore Templates
- [Industry Solutions →]
- [Standard Libraries →]
Get Support
- [Training Courses →]
- [Community Forum →]
- [Technical Support →]

This guide provides the framework for successful solution development. Adapt the procedures to your specific requirements while maintaining the systematic approach of the Five Stages and Four Pillars methodology.

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